Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
I’m sure we’ve all heard or even used the idiom “my lot in life” in conversation, maybe even recently. The idiom “my lot in life” refers to one’s fortune or misfortune in life. It is believed by many their fortune or misfortune is determined by fate, luck, or chance. Hundreds of years ago, a “lot” was a token of some kind, be it a marked stone or die of some kind, that was cast and the outcome of it determined your fate. “Lottery” is derived from “lot.” Basically, this expression signifies that one believes they have little control over their life – that it is determined by a predetermined fate. May I say to you this is a lie from the pit of hell and one Satan has been propagating since his fall. There is NO such thing as fate, chance, or luck. As I’ve written many times in these emails, your outcomes, your destiny, your atmosphere, your circumstances, your successes, and your failures are determined by your tongue – period! This is not my opinion; it is God’s Word (Proverbs 18:21).
The title of this message is, “Your ‘Lot’ in Life.” The Lot I’m speaking of is Abraham’s nephew from Genesis. I’m sure we all remember Lot living in Sodom and Gomorrah, his family fleeing when God rained down fire and brimstone to destroy the cities, Lot’s wife looking back and turning to a pillar of salt, and the disgrace of Lot’s two daughters lying with him to produce two offspring that became the fathers of the Moabite and Ammonite people. The Moabites and Ammonites were pagan people who worshipped false gods. God forbid the Children of Israel, upon the exodus from Egypt, from marrying or intermingling with these people because He knew the Children of Israel would be turned to the false gods and the hedonistic sinful lifestyles. This is Lot’s earthly legacy.
If what I wrote in the previous paragraph were all you knew of Lot, you would think he was an unrighteous man. However, if you read II Peter 2:6-8, you will see the Holy Spirit through Peter refers to Lot as a “righteous man.” Interesting. What we will learn of Lot is he represents a great many Believers today – righteous but terribly carnal; therefore, powerless, and subject to the same curse as the unsaved world. Is this “Your ‘Lot’ in Life?”
II Peter 2:6-8
6 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;
7 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:
8 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)
What does “vexed” mean? Webster’s 1828 Dictionary gives this meaning, “teased; provoked; irritated; troubled; agitated; disquieted; afflicted.” We can see that righteous Lot’s soul was troubled, disquieted, afflicted, irritated, agitated, and provoked by the filthy conversation (in Greek it means “conduct”) of the wicked and their unlawful deeds (means deeds which broke God’s laws).
Let’s go back to see in the Holy Scriptures where righteous Lot went off the rails and ended up with such a poor lot in life, no pun intended. Let’s look at Genesis 13:10-13.
Genesis 13:10-13
10 And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.
11 Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other.
12 Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom.
13 But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.
In Genesis 13 it tells us that Abram (his name is changed by God to Abraham in Genesis 17) and Lot grew so rich and great because of The Blessing of the Lord, they couldn’t exist together because there wasn’t enough water, grass, and other necessities of the land to support them both. Notice in Genesis 13:8-9 Abram offered to Lot they separate so there would be no further strife and discontent between their families. Abram told Lot to choose where he would go, and Abram would go in the opposite direction. We can see that Lot chose the best-looking land – to the natural eyes. Did Lot pray and ask God where he should go? No. Lot trusted his “natural” eyes and wisdom. Notice what Abram did in Genesis 13:4.
Genesis 13:4
Unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first: and there Abram called on the name of the LORD.
Abram and Lot returned from Egypt to the land of Canaan. Abram had built an altar there between Beth-el and Hai (Beth-el is in Hebrew “the House of God,” and Hai is “Grace.”) Abram pitched his tent between the House of God and Grace and went to the altar there to enquire of God. Now, we are not told what God said to Abram at the altar, but we can see what God told Abram in Genesis 13:8-9. God told Abram to separate from Lot (this is what God originally instructed Abram in Genesis 12:1), to give Lot first choice, and God would bless Abraham no matter how the land appeared in the natural. Therefore, Abram had no problem or concern giving Lot the well-watered and lush land which is described as like the Garden of Eden. Abram’s land was a desert. In the natural, no man or woman would choose a desert; they would do exactly what Lot did. But Abram was walking in the Spirit. He had revelation knowledge from enquiring of God at the altar.
Notice what the Holy Scriptures say of Lot in Genesis 13:12-13.
Genesis 13:12-13
12 Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom.
13 But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.
Lot, the righteous man, the saved man, “pitched his tent toward Sodom.” These simple five Words of God tell us everything about the downfall of Lot. Where are our tents pitched? Are they pitched toward the world, trusting in the wisdom of the world, the news of the world, the economy of the world, the lies of the world, the power of a man, a politician, a rich man or woman? Are we carrying strife, discontent, fear, doubt, unbelief, anger, jealousy, envy, hate, worry, pride, etc.? Every time we hear bad or threatening news, do we go into a panic, worry, fear, or anxiousness? Do we run around carrying the burdens of life because we don’t think God cares, He’s too busy for us, we’re not good enough, or we feel as if we’re the only ones that care? Let me say this, which God has admonished me with before – if you think and act this way, you’ve put Jesus Christ back on the cross. My Father taught me this offends Him greatly. It is pure and simple unbelief and pride – thinking you or your situation is greater than the redemption of Jesus Christ. Strong isn’t it. If you think this way, you need to hear it strongly – just as I did.
Sisters and Brothers in Christ, we have a choice – to believe or not to believe. It is this simple. We think we and the world are so smart that it couldn’t possibly be this easy. It must be harder. Why, the only way one becomes prosperous in this world is through long, hard work, through the teaching and wisdom of the world. Only a fool believes this, and I was once one. In closing, you have a choice. Believe all the Word of God and walk like blessed Abraham or live like Lot and watch death and decay destroy your earthly inheritance and testimony. Walking like Lot will ensure you never fulfill Genesis 12:2-3. You will stand before Jesus at the Bema Seat explaining what you didn’t do with all the Spiritual blessings He gave to you. We don’t want to be in this position. We want to hear these beautiful Words, “Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.”
Remember we are Victors coming from a Victory going to a Success. It is the Word that gave Victory, making us Victors when we made Jesus Christ the Lord of our lives, and the Word guarantees Believers – YES, GUARANTEES – that we will always be victorious, more than conquerors through Christ – IN THIS WORLD, IN THIS LIFE – you don’t have to wait for Heaven. Don’t let your problems, your mountains speak to you. You shut the voice of the problem or mountain down by speaking the Word of God to it. God, through faith in His spoken Word, guarantees/promises you success. If you don’t believe this, you don’t know the Word of God. Ask God to show you the Truth, to remove the scales from your Spiritual eyes, the wax from your Spiritual ears, and the hardness from your Spiritual heart in Jesus’ precious name. Amen!
Much Love In Christ,
Larry